Ray's Daily

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”

Voltaire

 

 

 

I had breakfast yesterday with a former colleague and dear friend. We had worked together for many years before I retired from our company twenty years ago. I always viewed her as a partner and not as an assistant. She enriched my working life and was responsible for many of my past successes.

In the years since she has prospered and currently has a key executive position with a major international company. Recently she was given responsibility for integrating two major internal groups and to lead them into the future. As we talked she reminded me how we had always worked to let the people in our own organization and those in the organizations we worked with just how important they were to us. We went out of our way to let them know how what they did contributed to our success.

Sadly we far too often take workers for granted. We seldom let them know that if were not for what they do we would not survive. I don’t mean the managers and supervisors although we made sure we let them know we appreciated what they did, I mean the front line worker. If you have watched the Undercover Boss on TV lately you have seen what I mean. My friend went on to tell me how important what we had done in the past turned out to be for her today.

In the restructuring that she has done there were many folks who were threatened by the changes and the unknown. Some even lived in fear of job. Fortunately my friend did not take long before my friend began walking around and seeing what everyone was doing and how they fit in. She then sat with each team member and told them how important they were to the group and how much she appreciated their work. She sincerely shared with them how glad she was that they were part of the team. These good people had never been told how important they were and how much they were respected. My friend reported than some even cried because they learned that someone noticed and someone cared.

I have found over the years that it is those we often take for granted who are the most important in our lives and we need to show them our gratitude. But we can’t do that unless we understand how much we appreciate them. When I got home I got this e-mail from Ralph Marston that expresses the value of appreciation and gratitude.

Riches without end

Do you want to really feel good? Then feel thankful.

Do you wish to make a great impression? Then be appreciative.

Would you like to empower your actions? Then live and think and act with an ever-present sense of gratitude.

There is great wealth that already exists in your life. From that wealth you can draw the energy, the inspiration and the resources necessary to do anything.

Yet to benefit from that great wealth, you must sincerely appreciate it. When you truly realize how much you have, you also know, without a doubt, that you can achieve whatever you choose.

Every moment great and small is an opportunity to be thankful. And in thankfulness, there are riches without end.

~~~

“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.”

William James

~~~

The Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it was. Susie raised her hand, stood tall, and quoted, "Thou shall not take the covers off the neighbor’s wife."

~~~

Kindness is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.

~~~

Tom and Darryl were out hunting deer. Tom asked, "Did you see that?"

"No," Darryl replies.

"Well, a bald eagle just flew overhead."

"Oh," responded Darryl.

A couple of minutes later, Tom said, "Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Are you blind? There was a big, black bear walking on that hill, over there."

"Oh."

A few minutes later Tom again said, "Did you see that?"

By now, Darryl is getting aggravated, so he says, "Yes, I did!"

And Tom says: "Then why did you step in it?"

~~~

The five most essential words for a healthy, vital relationship are "I apologize" and "You are right."

~~~

He said:

On my four-year-old daughter’s first trip to Disneyland, she couldn’t wait to get on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.  As the car zoomed through the crazy rooms, into the path of a speeding train, and through walls that fell away at the last second, she clutched the little steering wheel in front of her.

When the ride was over, she said to me a little shakily, "Next time, you drive.  I didn’t know where I was going."

~~~

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. Reginald B. Mansell

~~~

Visiting St Patrick’s Cathedral on a tour of New York City, my daughter and her children were awed by the sight. The kids were especially curious about the votive candles, so my daughter asked if they’d each like to light one. She explained that is it customary to say a prayer of petition or thanks, and she was careful to tell them that these are not like birthday candles.

"Do you have any questions?" she asked.

"No," said the five-year-old, "but if there’s a pony outside, it’s mine."

~~~

"I had a friend who was a clown. When he died, all his friends went to the funeral in one car." Steven Wright

~~~

Mrs. Smith pulled Mrs. Jones out of earshot of the porch, where Mrs. Jones’ lovely young daughter, Linda, sat. "It is really none of my business," whispered Mrs. Smith, "but have you noticed what your daughter is doing?"

"Why, no. Is she up to anything special?"

Mrs. Smith leaned closer. "Haven’t you noticed? She has started knitting tiny garments!"

Mrs. Jones’ troubled brow cleared. "Well, thank goodness," she said smiling, "at last she has taken an interest in something besides running around with boys."

~~~

Luck is a lazy person’s estimate of a worker’s success.

~~~

My wife called me from her car after she had arrived at an appointment. I could tell from her voice that she was getting frustrated. Finally, she said, "I know I had my cell phone with me and now, I can’t find it!"

I replied, "Aren’t you talking on it?"

There was a solid period of stunned silence as the reality of the situation sank in, followed by, "You are not going to tell anybody about this!"

~~~

The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others and does not accentuate the bad.

The inferior does the reverse.

Confucius

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

Upon the education of the people of this country the fate of this country depends.

Benjamin Disraeli

 

 

 

I have another one of those really full days ahead. Breakfast and lunch meetings as well as a Butler University lecture tonight. I am looking forward to seeing the campus as our whole town is really celebrating Butler Universities making the NCAA Championships Basketball Final Four that will be held right here in Indianapolis next weekend. Since my mind will be elsewhere the rest of today I’ll fall back on a Daily from yesteryear.

 

Here is the Daily I sent on March 30, 2005

~~~

I had lunch with one of my favorite University Professors the other day. Most of our hour and a half together was spent in analyzing and solving the world’s problems. About mid-way through our lunch the conversation drifted into a discussion of the youth of today and to some extent what she is seeing in her students. We both expressed our personal concern that too many young people today either feel disenfranchised or believe that being concerned about national and world affairs is a waste of time. I find this to be tragic as these are the citizens of tomorrow, they are the educated people upon who we will depend to provide us a supportive society in which we can grow old gracefully.

While we had no answers, we speculated that to some extent we have led this generation to see success as winning a good job and then making lots of money. We seem to have instilled the idea that it is not important to enrich their lives through life-long learning, taking responsibility for staying abreast of current events, and allowing themselves to enjoy the great rewards that culture has to offer. I even understand that some University Curriculum Committees are cutting back or even eliminating required courses that do not directly apply to the acquisition of marketable skills, I think of this as curricula de-enrichment.

Years ago one of Indianapolis’ most respected leaders told me how disappointed he was that his son had chosen to get an undergraduate engineering degree. My friend felt that his son would have been much better off taking a liberal arts degree first so that he would be able to see, understand, and enjoy all the world had to offer. My friend had the credentials to make such judgments as he had been the President of a Major Bank, the President of a Major Sports franchise, the Chairman of a number of corporations, and one of our town’s greatest citizens.

I think we owe our youth the opportunity to see and touch ideas and things that would enrich their lives; to not give them that chance is stealing from them the opportunity to discover very best life has to offer. If we don’t provide our youth with a well rounded education we will pay the price in the years ahead.

~~~

It is very nearly impossible… to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind.

James Baldwin

~~~

What their mom said:

COLUMBUS‘ MOTHER: "I don’t care what you’ve discovered, you still could have written!"

MICHELANGELO’S MOTHER: "Can’t you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?"

NAPOLEON’S MOTHER: "All right, if you aren’t hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me."

ABRAHAM LINCOLN’S MOTHER: "Again with the stovepipe hat? Can’t you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"

MARY’S MOTHER: "I’m not upset that your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you."

ALBERT EINSTEIN’S MOTHER: "But it’s your senior picture. Can’t you do something about your hair? OY! Styling gel, mousse, something…?"

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOTHER: "The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye!"

THOMAS EDISON’S MOTHER: "Of course I’m proud that you invented the electric light bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed!"

PAUL REVERE’S MOTHER: "I don’t care where you think you have to go, young man, midnight is past your bedtime."

~~~

I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.

~~~

Here is one of the reasons I like the Irish so much.

Irish Proverbs

A kind word never broke anyone’s mouth.

A dog owns nothing, yet is seldom dissatisfied.

It is better to be born lucky than rich.  

A lie travels farther than the truth.

An old broom knows the dirty corners best.

Put silk on a goat, and it’s still a goat.

A friend’s eye is a good mirror.

It’s no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking.

God is good, but never dance in a small boat.

Even a small thorn causes festering.

Marriages are all happy its having breakfast together that causes all the trouble.

Every dog is brave on his own doorstep.

You’ll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind.

Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbor. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him.

You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.

~~~

It was a May-December marriage, and as the old man climbed in to bed for the first time with his new bride, he asked, "Did your mother tell you what to do on your wedding night?"

"Yes," she cooed, kissing him lightly, "She told me everything."

"Good," said the elderly gentleman as he turned out the light, "because I’ve forgotten."

~~~

"I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy next to me."

Woody Allen.

~~~

While walking through a parking lot, I tripped and fell flat on my face.

As I was lying there, a woman stopped her car and called out, "Are you hurt?" "No, I’m fine," I said, touched by her concern. "Oh, good," she continued. "So will you be vacating your parking space now?"

~~~

If money won’t make you happy, you won’t like poverty either.

~~~

She said that while visiting her son during his freshman year, she was shocked by the mess in his room:  clothes, books, and rubbish lay everywhere. Later, over dinner, she tried to touch on the informal versus formal dress codes that life after college might require.  Her son, however, shared his own firmly held dress code guidelines:

1. Informal: socks not required

2. Semiformal:  two socks required

3. Formal:  both socks must match

~~~

You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

~~~

Maureen said: At my granddaughter’s wedding, the DJ polled the guests to see who had been married longest.  It turned out to be my husband and I.  The DJ asked us, "What advice would you give to the newly-married couple?"

I said, "The three most important words in a marriage are, ‘You’re probably right.’"

Everyone then looked at my husband.  He said, "She’s probably right."

~~~

Education would be so much more effective if its purpose were to ensure that by the time they leave school every boy and girl should know how much they don’t know, and be imbued with a lifelong desire to know it.

Sir William Haley

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

The more elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.

Joseph Priestley

 

 

 

Some of you have heard me recently express my concern that the information explosion that we live with everyday is often form over substance. We are inundated with messages and unfiltered content that can easily make the process of verifying, selecting, managing and absorbing what is available so time consuming that we don’t really process it all. And before you say anything, yes I realize I am one of those sources that load up in-boxes, but I do understand that each of you makes the choice as to what you read and hear and what you don’t.

What concerns me is that I often feel we have become so enamored by the message vehicle that we think that dazzling formats, attention grabbing tricks and the like add so much value to a message that we often lose the meaning of the content. It is hard enough in today’s polarized society to find accuracy when so many are coloring the messages with their perspective to have communications further complicated by style.

My fear is that the sheer volume of what we receive via the media and voice has turned us into abridged thinkers, reducing our ability to process truly important information. I would like to see the return of effective communicators in lieu of stylistic message transmitters. It is like the age old question, is a sound a sound if it is unheard? And in this case is a message a message if it is not understood? I have learned the necessity for me to feedback to people what I think they said in order for me to make absolutely sure that I have it right, often there is something I didn’t understand and in every case the communicator knows that their message was received. In order for communications to really work we must train ourselves to truly listen and process the messages and when we do we will soon learn what to select and absorb and what to jettison as a waste of our precious time.

Here is something Steve Brunkhurst wrote recently that I think is worth your consideration.

Five Lessons about Communication

Powerful communication involves timing, silence, listening, actions, and carefully chosen words and emotions…

1. First Things First

Communication involves making internal choices. Timing can make all the difference when conveying your thoughts. Some things need to be said up front, and some things are better said later. Knowing the difference is crucial. If there is something important that you need to say to someone, say it now. There isn’t always a second chance.

2. Silence is Powerful

Moments of silence can sometimes send the most powerful messages. Not every moment in a conversation needs to be filled with spoken words. Sometimes silence is more telling, effective, necessary, and appropriate.

3. Messages are Everywhere

Listen deeply, not only to what a person is saying. Listen to what they are not saying. Hear the messages between words, within emotions, and in the choices of words used. Often, these silent messages are not there by accident. Ask questions and confirm what you think you heard.

4. Actions Tell the Story

Actions are the greatest tellers of the truth. They need to be congruent with our words. This is a powerful lesson that is often overlooked. Powerful communication requires watching and doing as well as speaking and listening. Actions that back up words will build trust.

5. Turn to the Appropriate Emotional Page

Match your emotions to the needs of your communication partner. Children are especially sensitive to the emotions accompanying our words. In order to hear our messages, they need for us to be on the same page with their level of enthusiasm. Emotions and words chosen and measured carefully allow us to communicate with empathy while communicating with honesty.

~~~

You’ll Know Yours Is A Redneck Church If:

The finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one.

People ask, when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch ’em.

Opening day of deer season is recognized as an official church holiday.

The choir is known as the "OK Chorale."

Boone’s Farm "Tickle Pink" is the favorite wine for communion.

Finding and returning lost sheep isn’t just a parable.

High notes on the organ set the dogs on the floor to howling.

People think "rapture" is what you get when you lift something too heavy.

The choir robes were donated by (and embroidered with the logo from) Billy Bob’s Barbecue.

The collection plates are really hub caps from a ’56 Chevy.

~~~

INFLATION: Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

~~~

The Smiths were dining out when his wife noticed her ex-husband at the bar.

"Honey," she said as she pointed the guy out, "that guy at the bar has been drinking like that since I left him seven years ago."

Her husband said, "That’s silly, no one celebrates that much."

~~~

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does.

~~~

Perks of Being Over 60

1. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size. 

2. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.

3. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

4. People call at 9 PM and ask, "Did I wake you?"

5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

7. Things you buy now won’t wear out.

8. You can eat dinner at 4 P.M.

9. You can live without sex but not without glasses.

10. You enjoy hearing about other peoples operations.

11. You get into heated arguments about pension plans and politicians.

12. You have a party and the neighbors don’t even realize it.

13. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

14. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

15. You sing along with the music piped into the Mall.

16. Your eyes won’t get much worse.

17. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

18. Your ankles swell and you can’t feel them either.

19. You have lost your sense of smell. 

20. Your taste buds only sense the alcohol in medicines. and worst of all…… You can’t remember who sent you this darn list.

~~~

Why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?

~~~

The new Librarian decided that instead of checking out children’s books by writing the names of borrowers on the book cards herself, she would have the youngsters sign their own names.   She would then tell them they were signing a "Contract" for returning the books on time.

Her first customer was a second grader, who looked surprised to see a new Librarian. He brought four books to the desk and shoved them across to the Librarian, giving her his name as he did so.

The Librarian pushed the books back and told him to sign them out.  The boy laboriously printed his name on each book card and then handed them to her with a look of utter disgust.

Before the Librarian could even start her speech he said, scornfully, "That other Librarian we had could write."

~~~

Ever notice that you have to get to church pretty early to find a seat in the back row?

~~~

A young man was walking past an old woman on a street corner, when she said, "Son, if it is not too much trouble, can you see me across the street."

The young man said, "Just a minute."  Then he walked across the street, looked back and yelled, "Yes, I can see you!"

~~~

The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it.

Edward R. Murrow

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.

J.B. Priestly

 

 

 

This is going to be my busiest day this week so I’ll be on the run with little time to think much less compose a new Daily for today. Here is an older copy that I hope you will enjoy.

Ray

~~~

Ray’s Daily from five years ago today.

March 23, 2005

 

What I like about the following is how positive our view of life can be if we only let it. Not the least of which is our thankfulness for just being here and having the chance to see all that life can be.

 

Be Thankful

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary, because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.

Author Unknown

~~~

There is a calmness to a life lived in Gratitude, a quiet joy.

Ralph H. Blum

~~~

Been there?

* He wears the pants in the house – under his apron.  

* He has two chances of winning an argument with her – slim and none.  

* She leads a double life – hers and his.  

* He comes right out and says what she tells him to think.  

* She doesn’t have to raise the roof; all she has to do is raise an eyebrow.  

* He always has the last word – he says, "I apologize."  

* The last big decision she let him make was whether to wash or to dry.  

* He married her for her looks, but not the kind he’s getting now.  

~~~

A new survey shows most American teens are spending a lot more time with their parents.

That’s because in this economy, they’re all working weekends together at McDonald’s.

~~~

How old is…. Grandma? Stay with this — the answer is at the end — it will blow you away…

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events.  The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandma replied,  "Well, let me think a minute, I was born, before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill.

There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and man had yet to walk on the moon.

Your Grandfather and I got married first and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, "Sir"- – and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir."

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense. We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong, and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing! Meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends — not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President’s speeches on our radios.

If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan’ on it, it was junk.

The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent store where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

If you wanted to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600 but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day, "grass" was mowed, "coke" was a cold drink, "pot" was something your mother cooked in, and "rock music" was your grandmother’s lullaby.

"Aids" were helpers in the Principal’s office, "chip" meant a piece of wood, "hardware" was found in a hardware store, and "software" wasn’t even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a woman needed a husband

to have a baby.

No wonder people call us"old and confused" and say there is a Generation gap….. and how old do you think I am ???…..

Read on to see — Pretty scary if you think about it, and rather sad at the same time.

Grandma is Only 59…. She was born in 1946 .

~~~

Men who are getting on in years should console themselves with the thought that when they get too old to set bad examples, they can always start giving advice!

~~~

It was a beautiful wedding, but the mother of the bride seemed to be taking it too hard. Right after the ceremony, an old friend came up to console her. "Don’t cry," said the friend. "They say girls marry men like their fathers."

"I’ve heard that too," said the mother. "That’s why I’m crying!"

him by forty pounds and he was a coward."

~~~

I have my standards.  They may be low, but I have them.

Bette Midler

~~~

The tiresome jury selection process continued, each side hotly contesting and dismissing potential jurors. Don O’Brian was called for his question session.

"Property holder?"

"Yes, I am, Your Honor."

"Married or single?"

"Married for twenty years, Your Honor."

"Formed or expressed an opinion?"

"Not in twenty years, Your Honor."

~~~

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Melody Beattie

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

John Quincy Adams

 

 

 

The other day I shared with you that I had read an article about folks who lived to be 100 or more. The article had said the people they interviewed had resiliency in common, they had always bounced back after setbacks. I suggested that resiliency was the result of a positive attitude.

 I now would like to add perseverance to the equation. It is a case of not letting obstacles and reversals impede the good life journey. I honestly believe that those who have learned to take advantage of what life has to offer are people who get knocked down, but don’t stay down, folks with a can-do attitude. But it is not always easy to dig deep and find the strengths needed to begin again. Often this requires new tactics, new methods and alternatives to abilities that have been lost due to health issues, but as I am sure you have seen by the amazing things accomplished disabled athletes and others, so we know it can be done. It just takes a belief in yourself and perseverance.

I have learned that I may not go as fast and might even have to take detours around mountains I can no longer climb. Fortunately I have found that I can still journey and as you probably know it is the journey counts. The vibrant seniors I know have learned that once you reach the end of the journey it does no good to lie down and travel no more for there is always a new adventure to be had just up the road.

I agree with what life coach Steve Brunkhorst wrote about perseverance last year. He wrote:

Seven Key Characteristics of Perseverance

Knowledge: Our philosophy of living, the foundation of all we achieve, determines our steadfastness in all circumstances. We persevere based upon what we have learned and the principles we hold to be true. In turn, perseverance increases knowledge from experience.

Emotional Vitality: How we feel about the knowledge we’ve gained forms our attitude. Emotional vitality produces an attitude of steady persistence despite disappointments and setbacks.

Activity: Perseverance suggests a resolute determination in following a course of action in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. We develop the self-discipline to do what we say we are going to do. With a positive attitude, we can rest when needed; yet, we continue moving forward.

Patience: Throughout life, we will experience delays and setbacks. Those who persevere will not be held back by restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay.

Accomplishment: Perseverance allows the seed of a goal to germinate and grow to its full potential. It allows us to stop and measure our progress from time to time. In so doing, we can make necessary corrections in our course of action.

Teamwork: Great accomplishments involve people working together for the betterment of humankind. No one succeeds alone, and those who persevere gather knowledgeable help from many sources.

Contentment: The creative resolve we demonstrate when we persevere strengthens our creativity in living life to its fullest measure. It allows us to live a unique and content life – one that fulfills us personally and professionally.

~~~

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained."

Marie Curie

~~~

As a member in good standing of the Society of Childlike Grownups, you are hereby entitled to:

Feel SCARED and sad and mad and Happy,

Give up worry, guilt and shame,

Stay Innocent,

Ask lots of questions,

Ride a bicycle,

~~~

Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.

~~~

A US Border Patrol Agent catches an illegal alien in the bushes right by the border fence, he pulls him out and says, "Sorry, you know the law, you’ve got to go back across the border right now."

The Mexican man pleads with them, "No, noooo Senior, I must stay in de USA! Pleeeze!"

The Border Patrol Agent thinks to himself–I’m going to make it hard for him–and says, "Ok, I’ll let you stay if you can use three English words in a sentence."

The Mexican man of course agrees.

The Border Patrol Agent tells him, "The three words are: Green, Pink and Yellow. Now use them in one sentence."

The Mexican man thinks really hard for about two minutes, then says, "Hmmm, Ok. The phone, it went Green, Green, Green–I Pink it up, and sez Yellow?"

~~~

If at first you don’t succeed, see if the loser gets anything.

~~~

Herbert A Millington

Chair – Search Committee

Whitson University

College Hill, MA 34109

Dear Professor Millington,

 

Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me an assistant professor position in your department.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Whitson’s outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

 

Sincerely,

Chris L. Jensen

~~~

The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don’t know what you’re doing, someone else does.

~~~

A very tight man was looking for a gift for a friend. Everything was too expensive except for a glass vase that had been broken, which he could purchase for almost nothing.  He asked the store to send it, hoping his friend would think it has been broken in transit. In due time, he received an acknowledgement. "Thanks for the vase," it read.  "It was so thoughtful of you to wrap each piece separately."

~~~

Half our live is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed though life trying to save.

~~~

The manager of a large office noticed a new man one day and told him to come into his

office. "What is your name?" was the first thing the manager asked the new guy.

"John," the new guy replied.

The manager scowled, "Look, I don’t know what kind of a namby-pamby place you worked at before, but I don’t call anyone by their first name. It breeds familiarity and that leads to a breakdown in authority. I refer to my employees by their last name only – Smith, Jones, Baker – that’s all. I am to be referred to only as Mr. Robertson. Now that we got that straight, what is your last name?"

The new guy sighed and said, "Darling. My name is John Darling."

"Okay, John, the next thing I want to tell you is…"

~~~

Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it.  I never heard of anyone ever stumbling on something sitting down.

Charles F. Kettering

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

The price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people’s differences, not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.

Jerome Nathanson:

 

 

 

Hi all, it is another one of those “Where’s Ray days.” I am not going to wait for him so here is a Daily from the past that I kind of like.

Ray’s Computer

***

Ray’s Daily first published on March 18, 2005

St. Patrick’s day is over and you can go back to what nationality you were two days ago. I hope you had fun and stayed out of trouble. I think there is a lesson to be learned from our Irish friends. 100 years ago there was great prejudice against the Irish, they faced the same prejudice as those from Eastern Europe, Italy, and the Orient. These people were our forbearers, our grandparents, our aunts, uncles and cousins. Just think what our country would be today if it was not for these immigrants. They built our railroads, they rolled our steel, and they turned push cart businesses into thriving enterprises. Many that we claim as our best and brightest came to our country from somewhere else, they helped build the nation we live in today.

Today we are again seeing thousands of good hard working people taking the path of our ancestors. They may be Asians, Eastern Europeans, Mexicans, or from some other part of the world, each brings us the opportunity to enrich our culture just as the Irish did so long ago.

When I was growing up in Chicago we prided ourselves on being the melting pot. We had neighborhoods where Polish was the primary language, Greek sections that were not much different than neighborhoods in Athens, we had Chinese, Swedes, Lithuanians, we were from everywhere. And while many struggled, our city was alive and vibrant. And then the melting pot started to do its handiwork, we started to become the same, we were assimilated, and in my view we lost some of the best life has to offer.

I think we again are at the point where we can choose to reward those who become like us or embrace those who are different. I recently heard that my city has been transformed into a global enclave with about 10 percent of our population being first or second generation immigrants. They provide us a great opportunity to honor our differences, to learn to enjoy other cultures, and to embrace rather than lose our cultural diversity. Some say that we must show tolerance to those who are different than we are, that offends me somewhat for it implies that I am better then they. I don’t want to tolerate you, I want to know you, learn about your art, your music and your dance. I want to eat your food and I want to hear your thoughts and your ideas. Your difference is a gift that I don’t want to lose.

The bridges to the future we build together can have an unprecedented richness if we protect those things that make each of us unique. So thank you my Irish friends for what you have brought to us. And thank those of you who have come among us and made our lives a little better and a lot more interesting.

~~~

A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

~~~

What you are about to read is true, no names have been changed to protect the innocent.

We had an expert on child development speak to my Kiwanis club the other day. Because many of our members read to children as a service to our community, she was teaching us techniques that would make these events more pleasing to the children. She has us break into pairs with one person reading to the other, who role played the child; of course I was the child.

Like so many other things in my life it was a learning experience. I was read a picture book about the planets. When my reader turned a page I would hear about another planet. When he got to the planet Pluto I told him to stop, the book was wrong, I have been to Disney World and had my picture taken with Pluto, and he is a dog. Well to my surprise I learned that Pluto really is a planet. Now I can hardly wait to go back to Disney World and see Mickey and his dog Planet.

~~~

Remember: No matter where you go; there you are.

~~~

A man calls his mother and says, "Mother, I know you’re expecting me for dinner this evening, but something important has come up and I can’t make it." His mother says: "OK."

~

Two Gentiles meet on the street. The first one says, "You own your own business, don’t you? How’s it going?" The other Gentile says, "Just great! Thanks for asking!"

~

Two Gentile mothers meet on the street and start talking about children.

Gentile mother 1 (said with pride): "My son is a construction worker!"

Gentile mother 2 (said with more pride): "My son is a truck driver!"

~~~

Regular or extra crispy, how do you want the environment?

~~~

George, a career Army officer I once met, was jumpmaster for his unit and was taking up a few novices for a drop. The flight was pretty rough, and, after a while, George called off the jump because of high winds. As the plane headed back to base, and the pilot pulled off an unusually smooth landing, two of the neophytes got airsick. "How come you could take that rough flight, but you couldn’t handle the smooth landing?" asked George. "Well, Sir," one trainee explained, "we’ve always jumped out of planes. We’ve never actually landed before."

~~~

Sane?  Hell, if I was sane why would I be here?

~~~

Jill:  My ex was just impossible. Absolutely nothing pleased him. Tell me, Mary, were your exes hard to please?

Mary:  I wouldn’t know. I’ve never tried.

~~~

The old make the rules, the young make up the exceptions.

~~~

Mr. Dewey (of the famous law firm of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe) was briefing his client, who was about to testify in his own defense. "You must swear to tell the complete truth.  Do you understand?"

The client replied that he did.

The lawyer then asked, "Do you know what will happen if you don’t tell the truth?"

The client looked back and said, "I imagine that our side will win."

~~~

If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?

~~~

Soon after their last child left home for college, Linda’s husband was resting next to her on the couch with his head in her lap.

She carefully removed his glasses. "You know, honey," she said sweetly, "Without your glasses, you look like the same handsome young man I married."

"Honey," he replied with a grin, "Without my glasses, you still look pretty good too!"

~~~

Thank you for holding. This call may be monitored for quality purposes.

Of course, if we really cared about quality we’d hire more people to answer the phone.

~~~

California vintners in the Napa Valley area that primarily produces Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic and will reduce the number of trips an older person has to make to the bathroom during the night.

They will be marketing the new wine as Pinot More.

~~~

What ever crushes individuality is despotism, no matter what name it is called.

John Stuart Mill

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.